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Comparing Cambodia and Laos? See them ranked side by side with every alternative — weighted for your priorities.
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Quick answer
Run a custom Cambodia vs Laos budget across rent, food, transport, and healthcare at https://getwherenext.com/tools/cost-of-living — live 2026 Numbeo + World Bank ICP data.
Key facts
One or more countries are shown as estimated — the cost is extrapolated from regional averages because we do not yet ship per-category multipliers for that country. The verified countries carry real per-category data.
Overall, Cambodia edges ahead on aggregate scoring, but the best choice depends on your personal priorities.
Cambodia vs Laos scored across 7 normalized dimensions: Cambodia ranks #80 overall (standard basket ~$845/month, safety 43/100, healthcare 25/100) while Laos ranks #82 (standard basket ~$695/month, safety 61/100, healthcare 17/100) out of 95 countries in WhereNext's 2026 index.
Affordability index — lower cost of living scores higher
Global Peace Index and crime metrics
WHO coverage, hospital quality, access
PISA scores, university quality, literacy
Job market, GDP growth, business environment
Climate, language access, visa friendliness
Internet, transport, digital readiness
Key normalized-score comparison for Cambodia vs Laos: affordability 90 vs 97, safety 43 vs 61, healthcare 25 vs 17, education 22 vs 0, career 61 vs 47, lifestyle 42 vs 31, and infrastructure 30 vs 25. Every value uses the same 0-100 engine-normalized snapshot as the country dossiers; higher is better.
| Metric | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 🇱🇦 Laos |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 90 | 97 |
| Est. Monthly Cost (solo) | $845 | $695 |
| Safety Score | 43 | 61 |
| Healthcare Score | 25 | 17 |
| Education Score | 22 | 0 |
| Career Score | 61 | 47 |
| Lifestyle Score | 42 | 31 |
| Infrastructure Score | 30 | 25 |
| Language Access | 44 | 30 |
| Visa Friendliness | 84 | 76 |
Cambodia and Laos are among the most compared destinations for expats, digital nomads, and retirees considering a move abroad. In WhereNext's data-driven ranking of 95 countries, Cambodia sits at #80 while Laos ranks #82 overall. Both countries have distinct strengths that appeal to different relocation priorities.
As Southeast Asia neighbors, they share some cultural overlap, but differ meaningfully in cost of living, safety, and infrastructure. Here's how they compare across the seven dimensions that matter most when choosing where to live.
Cambodia has a cost index of 29/100 (very affordable), translating to roughly $845/month on the standard 11-category single-person basket. Laos comes in at 24/100 (very affordable), or about $695/month on the same basket.
The cost difference is relatively small (about $150/month), meaning the decision between these two destinations will likely come down to lifestyle preferences, climate, and visa accessibility rather than budget alone.
Cambodia scores 43/100 on safety (less safe), while Laos scores 61/100 (moderately safe). Laos scores notably higher than Cambodia in safety.
Safety is often the top concern for families and solo travelers. Laos's higher score reflects lower crime rates, political stability, and stronger rule of law — factors measured through the Global Peace Index and institutional safety data.
Healthcare quality is a critical factor for anyone relocating long-term. Cambodia has a normalized healthcare score of 25/100 (limited), compared to Laos's 17/100 (limited). Cambodia has a slight edge over Laos in healthcare.
Cambodia: A fragile public system that most expats avoid entirely. Private clinics exist in Phnom Penh but capabilities are limited. Serious cases are routinely evacuated to Bangkok, a short flight away. Laos: A very limited public system. Most medical care for expats is handled by the small number of private clinics in Vientiane or by crossing into Thailand (Udon Thani, Nong Khai) for anything beyond basic treatment.
For those who need to work locally or run a business, career prospects matter. Cambodia scores 61/100 while Laos scores 47/100 on career opportunity. Cambodia scores notably higher than Laos in career opportunity.
Infrastructure also plays a role in daily quality of life. Cambodia (30/100, basic) leads Laos (25/100, basic) in this category, which reflects internet penetration and fixed-broadband access (digital infrastructure).
Climate can make or break a relocation decision. Cambodia scores 52/100 (moderate) while Laos scores 48/100 (challenging).
Language accessibility also varies: Cambodia rates 44/100 for English proficiency, versus Laos's 30/100. Cambodia is generally easier for English speakers to navigate day-to-day.
Key lifestyle advantages: Cambodia is known for extremely low cost of living, usd is widely accepted as primary currency. Laos stands out for incredibly low cost of living, relaxed, unhurried pace of life.
Visa friendliness is often the deciding factor for expats. Cambodia scores 84/100 while Laos scores 76/100. Cambodia has a slight edge over Laos in visa accessibility.
Cambodia offers visa paths including Ordinary Visa (E-class), EB Visa (Business), ER Visa (Retirement). Laos provides Business Visa (B2), Tourist Visa (T-B3), Investor Visa. For US and EU passport holders, the specific requirements differ — use our Visa Checker tool for personalized access details.
Choose Laos if your priority is affordability. Choose Laos if safety comes first. For healthcare, Cambodia has the edge, while Cambodia offers stronger career opportunities.
Ultimately, the right country depends on your unique priorities. Take our personalization quiz to get a ranked recommendation tailored to your lifestyle, budget, and goals — or explore both country profiles in depth using the links above.
A personalized report with verified local prices, visa pathways, tax brackets, and a step-by-step relocation plan — researched specifically for these two countries.
This plan is not currently for sale while its figures are being re-verified against their sources.
For families relocating with school-age children, here's how the international school market compares between Cambodia and Laos.
Cambodia
Laos
No international schools indexed yet — check the country page for general education context.
Laos country profileSchool fee ranges show min and max published USD tuition across known international schools per country. Real annual cost typically runs 10-30% above published tuition once registration, transport, uniform, and ancillary fees are included — how WhereNext calculates true cost.
Dive deeper into Cambodia (ranked #80 of 95, ~$845/month) and Laos (ranked #82, ~$695/month) with full country profiles covering visa pathways, cost breakdowns, neighborhood guides, and expat community data.
Laos is the cheaper of the two, at roughly $695 a month against $845 for Cambodia — about 18% less, or $150 a month. Both are modelled estimates for a single person and will move with your city and housing choice.
Laos scores higher on safety — 61/100 against 43/100 for Cambodia, a gap of 18 points. Scores are normalised across every country in the index, so a difference of this size reflects a real gap rather than a rounding artefact.
Cambodia scores higher on healthcare — 25/100 against 17/100 for Laos, a gap of 8 points. Scores are normalised across every country in the index, so a difference of this size reflects a real gap rather than a rounding artefact.
Cambodia scores higher on education — 22/100 against 0/100 for Laos, a gap of 22 points. Scores are normalised across every country in the index, so a difference of this size reflects a real gap rather than a rounding artefact.
On the overall composite, Cambodia ranks higher — Cambodia is #80 and Laos is #82 of 95 countries, though that is close enough that the two are effectively neighbours. That composite applies one set of weights across seven dimensions; it is not a verdict for your situation. If cost matters most to you and safety least, the order can reverse.
The underlying dataset was last updated 2026-10-08. Scores come from institutional public-domain sources — World Bank ICP, UNDP, the IEP Global Peace Index, OECD PISA and Eurostat among them — and each dimension carries its own source and vintage on the methodology page. Cost figures are modelled estimates, not survey prices.
This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite — Cambodia vs Laos Comparison 2026 (2026-04-27). Derived from: World Bank ICP; WHO Global Health Observatory; OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS; Yale EPI; IEP Global Peace Index; EF EPI; WhereNext composite scoring. Available at https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). Cambodia vs Laos Comparison 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "Cambodia vs Laos Comparison 2026." WhereNext, 27 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
@misc{wherenext_getwherenext_com_compare_kh_vs_la,
author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {Cambodia vs Laos Comparison 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}<a href="https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-LA?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — Cambodia vs Laos Comparison 2026</a>
Laos is approximately 18% cheaper than Cambodia for expats in 2026. Standard 11-category single-person basket: Cambodia ~$845, Laos ~$695. Safety: Cambodia 43/100, Laos 61/100. Healthcare: Cambodia 25/100, Laos 17/100.
Laos is approximately 18% cheaper than Cambodia. A single person can live in Cambodia for approximately $845/month and in Laos for approximately $695/month on a moderate lifestyle.Cambodia ranks #80 and Laos ranks #82 out of 95 countries in WhereNext's 2026 Global Relocation Index. Safety scores: Cambodia 43/100, Laos 61/100. Healthcare scores: Cambodia 25/100, Laos 17/100. Source: WhereNext Country Comparison Tool, institutional public-domain datasets including World Bank, WHO, OECD, Q1 2026.
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